the mid-'90s and it would have been impossible to win seven tour de france wins any other way. with that more than a decade of lies and cover-ups was over, so was officially the once untouchable legend erika rear of lance armstrong. >> this story was so perfect for so long. you overcome the disease, you win the tour de france seven times, you have a happy marriage, you have children. i mean it's just this mythic perfect story. >> yes. >> and it wasn't true. >> former cyclist confessed the oprah winfrey and the world in a tv interview to using performance-enhancing drugs for most of his career including the seven consecutive years he won the tour de france. >> epo, not a lot, transfusions and tesses totosterone. >> did it feel wrong? >> at the time?

>> mm-hmm. >> no. >> but he flatly denied forcing his teammates to dope along with him. >> there was never a direct order to say you have do this if you want to be on the tour if you want to be on the team. that never happened. >> armstrong also rejected accusations that he threw money at the cycling union to hide positive test results. >> this is impossible for me to answer this question and have anybody believe it. >> yeah. it was not in exchange for any coverup. >> the 41-year-old face >> that will not be the final word on the scandal. the 41-year-old faces potential jail time and mull till-million-dollar fines. he's already been stripped of his tour de france victories and permanently banned from the sport he put on the map that made him a superstar. >> i see the anger in people. i see people -- >> anger and disappointment. >> and betrayal. >> and betrayal. >> it's all there. and i'll spend the rest of my life trying to earn back trust and apologize to people for the

rest of my life. >> the president of the world anti-doping agency said if armstrong was looking for redemption, he didn't succeed. in a rinne statement travis tygart said the confession was quote, a small step in the right direction, gu if he is sincere in his desire to correct his past mistakes he will testify under oath about the full extent of his doping activities. overseas now in the ongoing hostage crisis at the algerian gas facility. this morning there are still as many questions as answers. militants held hostages from at least ten nations at the remote gas plant. the defense secretary leon panetta says as many as eight americans were among them. a u.s. official says some americans escaped, some are still held and some remain unaccounted for. susan mcginnis is in washington with the latest. susan, good morning to you. >> terrell, good morning to you.

less than a day later there are so many questions left over the frustration of washington. we do know that the algerian military launched this attack with no warning to the u.s. government or any other government, and it does appear that the hostage crisis remains ongoing. algerian tanks surrounded the gas complex deep in the sahara desert and launched a daring rescue attempt. military leaders say they freed dozens of workers being held by al qaeda-linked terrorists, but many hostages were killed during the mission along with their captors. it's not clear what happened to the several americans being held at the plant. a u.s. official says some got out, including mark cobb who hid in a meeting room. irish citizen steven mcfall also escaped. he talked to a tv station during the rescue attempt. >> they say the military are firing all over the top of us. >> mcfall's family in ireland

was relieved to find out he was alive. >> i'm just really excited. i can't wait for him to get home. >> the obama administration says it is in contact with algerian authorities but admits it has been difficult getting accurate information. the terrorist group called the masked brigade stormed the compound on wednesday in retaliation for french air strikes on al qaeda fighters in neighboring mali. the u.s. government says it will continue to support the french offensive. >> there is a continuing effort by the terrorists to try to destroy the stability, the peace and security of the people of this region. >> the u.s. sent a surveillance drone over the gas compound and offered to assist the algerian military, but officials say they refused. now the u.s. is reportedly becoming more involved in the conflict in mali working with the french to deploy u.s. c-5 cargo planes.

>> susan mcginnis, thank you so much. meanwhile two military jets intercepted an alaskan airline jet after an unidentified caller told the fbi that a possible hijacker was on board. alaska flight 819 was inflight. two national guard f-15s escorted the plane to seattle. the fbi says he was not a threat. president obama is turning his well oiled political situation. organization into a nonprofit group that will set its sight on key policy issues like gun control. this week mr. obama unveiled sweeping new measures to reduce gun violence. in a just released cbs/"new york times" poll 92% of americans favored universal background checks for gun buyers while 54% favored stricter gun laws. the colorado movie theater that was the scene of a mass shooting in july opens to the public today. yesterday a ceremony was held for the victims along with a private screening for survivors. for some it was a step toward healing, but others didn't see it that way.

teresa garcia reports now from aurora, colorado. >> reporter: police and moviegoers gathered once again at the aurora colorado theater, but this time it was in healing. six months after the horror of the mass shooting that left 12 dead, the theater reopened for survivors, victims' families, and first responders. >> we are a community of survivors, and we are a community that is united in our recovery. >> reporter: the gathering in the newly remodeled theater number 9 drew mixed responses from survivors and victims' families. >> dave hoover lost his 15-year-old nerve few a.j.boik. he said entering the theater was just too much for him. >> i try to think about what we have, not at what we lost. a.j. was a big part of our life. >> reporter: jan son young's boyfriend died dodged a bullet. she came back for him.

>> i'm here to face my fears and come to comfort john to help memorialize him. >> reporter: security for the theater's reopening was tight. police kept onlookers and the media at a distance so survivors and family members could remember in private. aurora's mayor says he respects those who chose not to attend the reopening and welcomes those who did. >> my personal choice is to be here. i cannot allow the shooter in any way, shape, or form to win. >> reporter: the theater reopens to the public on friday. teresa garcia, cbs news, aurora, colorado. at least one death is blamed on a snowstorm that barreled across the south. driving in tennessee and other states was difficult. thousands of people are without electricity. accumulations are about 2 to 4 inches but as much as a foot of snow is expected in higher elevations. we'll take a quick break on a friday morning. when we come back on the "morning news," more snowy story

including this. take a look. a firefighter gets blind-sided during a dangerous rescue operation. this is the "morning news." rous rescue operation. this is the "morning news." inted out my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis... well, it was really embarrassing. so i had a serious talk with my dermatologist. this time, she prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma or other types of cancer have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common.

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a firefighter in siberia was attempting to rescue some p a firefighter in siberia was attempting to rescue some people from a burning apartment building on thursday but a huge chunk of snow on the building suddenly fell on him, sending him tumbling down the ladder. another firefighter came to his rescue while a third saved the people inside the building including a toddler. there were no injuries. "cbs moneywatch" on a friday morning. home construction rebounds and american airlines gets a makeover. ashley morrison here in new york. ash, good morning to you. >> good morning to you, terrell. asian stockings rallied. china's economy grew to 8% in a quarter. tokyo's nikkei shot up. wall street stocks finished higher due in part to falling jobless claims. the dow jones industrial average

was up 84 points on thursday. the nasdaq rose 18 points. >> one big factor that drove wall street stocks higher was stronger than expected housing starts. the commerce department said on thursday that home construction in december grew at its fastest pace in 4 1/2 years. toyota has settled what was to be the first of hundreds of wrongful death lawsuits. the suits are based on claims that sudden unintended acceleration of toyota vehicles caused deaths and injuries. thursday's settlement involved the death of a couple in utah three years ago when their toyota camry slammed into a wall. the terms of the settlement were not disclosed. and american airlines has a new look. the red, white, and blue stripes along the fuselage are now gone. now the american's planes will be all silver and sport a new logo. red and blue horizontal bars will emblazon the tail. american said after 40 years it was time to update its look, so making some changes. looking a little more modern.

>> i know. bright. almost loud. >> yes. you can see that coming at you. >> ashley morrison here in new york. ash, it's been real, my dear. >> it certainly has. >> blowing you kisses through the double box here. i'll explain that at the end of the broadcast. ashley morison, thank you so much. coming up next, your friday morning sports and a new development in the bizarre hoax involving notre dame football star manti te'o. [ nyquil bottle ] hey tylenol, you know we're kinda like twins. [ tylenol bottle ] we yeah we both relieve coughs sneezing, aches, fevers. and i relieve nasal congestion. overachiever. [ female announcer ] tylenol® cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion. nyquil® cold and flu doesn't. whatever it takes, get to sears big weekend event mattress spectacular. get 24 month special financing. and save up to 60%, plus get an extra

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here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, partly sunny, 34. partly sunny in miami 72. mostly cloudy in chicago, windy 39. dallas, sunny, 56, mostly sunny in l.a., 78 degrees. let's check your national forecast. dry weather will extend from the east coast to the midwest but snow showers, lake-effect snow and winds may cause travel delays around the great lakes. high winds will flow. fog and hazy conditions will blanket parts of the northwest and northern rockies. in sports this morning, another twist in the strange case of notre dame football star manti te'o. the heisman trophy finalist claims he was the victim of a hoax that led him to believe he was dating a woman and that she died of cancer. however, an analysis of press reports finds te'o continued to refer to that woman and her death after he learned they both were not real. vinita nair has more on how the hoax was uncovered. >> reporter: notre dame officials say they fully support

star football player manti te'o who insists he thought he had a real relationship with a woman. >> this was a very elaborate, very sophisticated hoax. manti was the victim of that hoax. manti is the victim of that hoax. >> reporter: when manti's grandmother passed away last fall and word spread his girlfriend lennay kekua died from leukemia the world and fans got behind the football star. >> i think she said i love you. >> reporter: the sports blog "deadspin" now says that girlfriend never existed. >> 22-year-old stanford grad gets in a near fatal car accident, contracts leukemia and then dies. that's a big tragedy. that's going to be written up somewhere. it wasn't. there was no death notice no obituary, no announcement of her funeral. >> reporter: "deadspin" says a friend of te'o's is behind the hoax and does not rule out that te'o may have been behind the deception, but te'o says he was

duped with an online and phone relationship with a woman and that he is humiliated but some question why he never corrected media reports that he'd spent time with kekua in hawaii. officials say they discussed the hoax with te'o in december before the national football championship game against alabama. the school said it decided not to contact the police saying it left that up to te'o. vinita nair, cbs news. in the nba, a happy 31st birthday to miami heat star dwyane wade. he drops 27 points on the lakers last night but he's outdone by teammate lebron james who goes off of 39. he tops the lakers. but the city of angels continues to celebrate the clippers. blake griffin celebrates 20 points to lead l.a.'s other team. timberwolves, 90-77. the clippers are now tied for most wins in the league at 31. when we come back, a disturbing subway attack caught on tape. a woman waiting for a train is brutally beaten and tossed to the tracks.

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on-going. what's being done this morning to keep foreigners in that country safe. plus: she said she wrestled her toddler away from a kidnapper. now... we know that was a lie. what a san jose mother is saying about the elaborate hoax and lance armstrong confesses. one of the ways he justified his cheating... to himself. join us for cbs 5 eyewitness news this morning... beginning at 4:30. good morning. it's friday january 18th. i'm frank mallicoat.

here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. washington, mostly sunny, 38. mostly sunny in atlanta, 50. mostly sunny and breezy in st. louis, 48. mostly sunny, denver, 55. morning fog in seattle, 46 degrees. a suspect is in custody for the beating of a subway rider in philadelphia. the attack on tuesday was caught on surveillance video. it shows the suspect throwing a woman onto the tracks. she managed to climb onto the platform suffering only minor injuries. a new study from the american cancer society suggests mixed results in the nation's battle to beat cancer. while the overall death rate from the disease is declining, some forms of the disease are increasing. ines ferre reports. >> reporter: cindy underwent a

lumpectomy and radiation after doctors discovering cancer in her breast last fall. the 60-year-old was concerned but took it in stride. >> i know so many women who have had breast cancer and fortunately the ones i do know came out of it okay, so i think i kind of had that in my mind. >> reporter: a new report from the american cancer society finds the overall death rate from cancer has gone down 20% from its peak in 1991. the drop is even greater for the big four, breast, lung, colorectum, and prostate cancer. >> fewer americans are smoking. after that it's improvements in early detection of cancer and improvements in treatment of cancer. >> reporter: still they expect more than a million new cancer cases this more and more than half a million deaths and cancer deaths are still rising for some cancer including melanoma.

46-year-old melissa moffatt had a melanoma cancer. she didn't protect her skin from her sun. >> every year i would get sun burn and then a tan and i would think, that's night. >> reporter: her doctor says early detection is key. >> if you see a spot that's new, a spot that's changing in any way, getting bigger, getting darker, it needs to be addressed. >> reporter: moffatt now wears sunscreen and hopes her cancer doesn't come back. ines ferre, cbs news, new york. there's something different about first lady michelle obama. mrs. obama added bangs to her hairstyle. she's seen at the white house with one of the co-chairs of president obama's inauguration. thursday was also mrs. obama's 49 ttth birthday. looking good. get it, first lady. we'll have live coverage right here on cbs. i'm terrell brown in new york. this is the "cbs morning news." new york. this is the "cbs morning news." y our new southwestern mac and cheese with grilled chicken served with soup or salad. chili's lunch combos.

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jwwñ check out this rescue of check out this rescue of an elephant calf in eastern india. it got stuck in the well

wednesday morning with little hope of getting out. villagers finally used a bulldozer to create a path but the elephant climbed out of danger. it actually got stuck underneath the vehicle for a few minutes. it managed to get out from underneath and ran from the force. you know, if you had a dilemma, she had a snap y solution and it all started with two words. "dear abby." one of the most beloved advise columnists whose real name is pauline friedman phillips. jim axelrod has more. >> reporter: profiled by ed murrow in 1958, dear abby started two years earlier when she called the editor of "the san francisco chronicle" and told them she could do better than what she just read. her advice ran in 1,400 papers worldwide with more than 110 million daily readers. >> the business of living from one day to the next with just one problem after another, most people just want someone to listen to them.

>> reporter: she was often confused with her twin sister who wrote her own column under the name ann landers. their rivalry drove them apart. as young adults though they grew close again in later life perhaps following their own vice. >> knowing the right thing to do is incentive. all we need to do is have someone give us the push in the right direction. >> reporter: every letter with a self-addressed envelope received a reply. >> here's a man who wrote me in care of the milwaukee sentinel. his wife doesn't understand him but his bookkeeper does. >> reporter: she continued looking at hundreds of letters day into her 70s eventually sharing the writing the column with her daughter. >> what's your key? >> key is giving to real happiness. if you aren't giving you aren't living. >> reporter: fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, talk

less say more, hate less, love more. jim axelrod, cbs news, new york. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," reaction to lance armstrong's interview with oprah winfrey last night. we'll hear from one of armstrong armstrong's former teammates. plus jones versus jones. the football matchup between brothers chandler and arthur jones in the matchup on sunday. before we go i want to let everybody know that my bosses here at cbs news would like to see me more during the day, reporting at the network, which means today is my last as anchor as anchor of the "cbs morning news". this is a very, very good thing but, of course, very bittersweet. i have grown to love the wonderful and talented people that bring you this show every single day, but i owe a debt of gratitude to all of you at home for watching. thank you, thank you, thank you so much. i cannot thank you enough. and with that, that is the "cbs morning news" for this friday.

i've always wanted to do that. i love it. i'm terrell brown. thank you, everybody. have a great day. i'm going to pick it up. i swear i'm going to pick it up. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

oat. >> your realtime captioner: linda marie macdonald hi, everyone and good morning. it's friday, january 18. we made it! >> we did. it was a long week, wasn't it? >> well, yeah. it's not over yet. but good to have you with us. [ laughter ] >> it's 4:30 everybody. they don't want to hear all this. it's amazing we just got out here. [ laughter ] >> still a ways to go here. >> we're not done yet mrs. griego! we're going to have a good day. it's starting out chilly in spots. freezing in the valleys, 20s and 30s.

promise more sunshine on the way for today. what about your weekend? we'll talk about that coming up. >> it is all about the weekend. all right. here's a live look right now up and down the nimitz where things are flowing nicely. we have a lot of overnight roadwork in lanes especially in the east bay. tell you all about that, "timesaver traffic" is coming up. it's unclear how many hostages died at a natural gas complex in algeria. today the british government says the hostage crisis is not over yet. the "associated press" says at least 6 people are dead, dozens more remain unaccounted for including some americans. the algerian government says the military raid was necessary because the islamic militant captors were threatening to flow with the hostage. >> there is a continuing effort by the terrorists to try to destroy the stability, the peace and security of the people of this region. >> the al qaeda